Stressed moms alter babys' gut and brainStress during the first trimester of pregnancy alters the population of microbes living in a woman's vagina. Those changes are passed on to newborns during birth and are associated with differences in their gut microbiome as well as their brain development, according to a new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers.

Placenta-on-a-chip National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers and their colleagues have developed a "placenta-on-a-chip" to study the inner workings of the human placenta and its role in pregnancy.

Educate mom, reduce unintended pregnanciesEducating young women about intrauterine devices and contraceptive implants — which are more effective than condoms or the pill — dramatically cut the number of unintended pregnancies among women seeking family planning.